DeCastro Appreciates Ease of Giving Through Payroll Deduction

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About 15 years ago, Travis DeCastro was listening to WPSU while the station was in the midst of a fundraising drive. Why not make a pledge? he thought. So he did, opting for a monthly payroll deduction.

And then he realized he could do the same for the School of Theatre. DeCastro has been donating to the school through payroll deduction since 2001, and recently designated his contributions to the Arts and Architecture Alumni Society Scholarship Endowment. “The beauty of compound interest is that it adds up,” he notes.

DeCastro came to Penn State in 1991 to start the School of Theatre’s stage management program. “I spend 90 percent of my time in direct or indirect contact with students, so giving to the scholarship was the obvious thing to do.”

He says he gives back to Penn State because the University has provided him the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. “Penn State has been great for me—funding my research, funding my attendance at conferences. The University has also given me the freedom to explore the arts in creative ways, so it’s only natural to want to give back.”

According to DeCastro, it’s a privilege to go to work because he gets to “play,” working in a field that he loves. “Theatre by nature is collaborative. Plus, at a university, surrounded by young students, people maintain a youthful approach.”

Giving back to Penn State comes easily to DeCastro. He says many faculty and staff are probably willing, but they “just don’t think of it.” “It’s something all faculty and staff should consider,” he notes. “Ultimately a university is about the people who are in it.”

To make a gift to the University through your paycheck, download and complete the Faculty and Staff Campaign Contribution Form[2]. Send the completed form to the Office of Annual Giving, 200 Bristol I, University Park, PA 16802 or fax it to 814-865-8755.